Comings And Goings

– Red Horse Strategies, the political consulting/field firm founded in 2007 by a group of former Senate Dems’ staffers, is expanding into the fundraising business. As such, the firm has hired Ariana Caplan – another Senate refugee – to work in its upstate office.

Red Horse was primarily a downstate firm until early last year when it grew to include a strategic communications component and an upstate office, which is run by Cort Ruddy, a former speechwriter for then-Sen. Hillary Clinton and long-time chief of staff to Sen. Dave Valesky.

“We are proud to now offer fundraising services to our clients,” said RHS’s co-founder and partner Doug Forand.

“By adding Ariana and her considerable talent to the Red Horse team, we can more efficiently offer the comprehensive campaign services that our clients need.”

Bongiorno has 13 years of lobbying experience, representing clients before the Legislature, executive chamber, state agencies and local government, primarily in the areas of health care, insurance, human services, professional licensure, higher education and public safety.

Wehner is the former executive director of the state Insurance Fund and chairman of the Workers Compensation board. He worked for nine years on the executive staff at the state Department of Labor. Before that, he was state media director for former US Sen. Alfonse M. D’Amato both in Washington, D.C.
and in Albany.